See the Pope in Rome

Hello friends! Maybe many of you don't know that seeing the Pope in Rome is difficult even for the romans. Despite the Pope is one of the most famous persons in the world, his life is extremely reserved. In fact, he officially appears to public just twice a week: Wednesday at 10:30 am and Sunday at 12:00 pm.
On Sunday, he attends the Angelus (he makes a short speech and blesses the crowd right from his room's window on the top of St. Peter's Square). The square is free entrance of course and people watch the Pope just below his window. It's a bit far away, but worthy.
On Wednesday it is also possible to see the Pope live, reserving one of the seats placed around the small central stage, right in front of the façade of St. Peter's Basilica.
Reservation of seats is also free and must be submitted to the Secretary of the Vatican City.
Just in case you were interested, get in contact with me: I can help you to make it easier.
See the Pope from close has never been so simple!  

EATALY ROMA

Just a year ago a big event occured in Rome: it was the 21st of June 2012 when EATALY ROMA was inaugurated. Simply, the largest space in the world (194000 square feet) totally dedicated to food, catering and cooking learning! 

4 floors loaded with fresh and preserved food of all kinds: 100% made in Italy and high quality! White and red wine, extravirgin olive oil, pasta, rice, chocolate and sweets: a real paradise for italian cuisine's fans and a very good alternative destination for tourists spending a few days in Rome!

After experiencing personally this huge supermarket, I started to recommend it to everybody who likes italian food and is looking for some tasty souvenirs to take back home and I have always received good comments so far.

Besides soft drinks, chocolates, sweets, fresh fruits and vegetables, at Eataly's ground floor you will find the most recent skillful kitchen goods of italian design and very good home fragrances.

The upper floors are destined to sale of all kinds of pasta, dressings in can or glass jars, espresso coffee, alcohol (wine, grappa and liquors), books about cooking. Also the small restaurants, open till late night, will be happy to fill your stomach with the best dishes of local cuisine (each one is specialized in one kind: you can choose among the pasta place, the pizza place, the meat or fish corner and so on).

Honestly, I never liked big shopping malls, american type: I prefer small family-run shops than large distribution supermarkets. After all, the secret of success of italian economy's  growth last century has been the small/medium industry and today many italians still look suspiciously at the american way of shopping. However, among the many shopping malls available in the city, Eataly is the only one which makes a difference. Eataly sponsors the so called niche factories, whose products are less known and difficult to find in common markets. On the other hand, prices can be a bit more expensive in comparison to standard products, but quality is much higher and consumers always feel satisfied.

By the way, I reminded a funny thing to tell you about price. Eataly is articulated by price: the more you go up the more expensive prices become! So, don't get scared once you get to the last floor: dinner costs more than 100 euros per person! Just out of budget for me. 

Usually, maximum I can reach is the second floor....

Eataly is very well localized: from Termini Station take the subway B line (blue one), EUR-Laurentina direction and get off at Ostiense-Piramide (just 4 stops about 10 minutes).

I suggest to take the first wagon at the head of the train because when you get off you will find the escalators: take them, go upstairs and just follow the indications (5 minutes walk).

Eataly is open everyday from 10 am until midnight.

I hope you liked my tip and when you have some time, I would appreciate if you write your comment right below. I like to exchange opinions! 

Let's catch up soon!

The Swiss Guard

The Swiss Guard is the Pope's personal army, well-known for the colourful renaissance style uniform, designed by Michelangelo according to some legends (actually, there is no evidence for that and to say the truth the uniform's design was firstly attributed to Rafael, as shown in some of his famous fresco paintings in the same Vatican Museums). 

Founded in 1506 by Pope Julius II as Pontifical Swiss Guard with the purpose of protecting the Pope and the Apostolic Palace, it was composed by 150 soldiers, all from the Canton of Lucerne and they were originally mercenaries looking for money or war professionals.

Until 1970, there were 2 more guards, the Palatine Guard, created in 1850 e the Noble Guard founded in 1801, but they were abolished under Pope Paul IV who just wanted to maintain the older and more prestigious Swiss Guard.

Despite presently it consists of just 110 soldiers (the smallest army for the smallest country in the world!) and it is considered a symbolic army, the Swiss Guard still sticks to a rigid traditional military discipline and training: they are articulated in 3 groups, work 8 hours a day and know perfectly how to use both ancient weapons, like swords and halberds, and modern firearms.

As fundamental requirements to become a Swiss Guard, the applicants must be catholic, swiss and single between 19 and 30 years age. The eligibility also depends on their origins: the family must be upper middle class and very well reputated. Recruitment occurs 4 times a year (March 1, July 1, September 16 and December 1) and generally the number of applicants is about 200 people.

Initially, the contract lasts 2 years, but it can be extended up to 20 years (in this case soldiers can get married and receive a service allowance at the end).

During the time of service, the Swiss Guard benefits of 2 citizenships: swiss and vatican.

Despite many people would like to become a Pope's Guard, nowadays this job is no more very profitable: the average salary is around 1500 euros per month, but still many swiss people are proud to be part of this unique military force. It's a sort of vocation: after all they have been serving the Pope for such a long time.

The guards spend their leisure time working out a lot: the vatican barracks provide fitness facilities, shooting and self-defense courses and many other sports like football, volley and basketball.

Even outside the Vatican City, during the off duty time, they are requested to keep a discrete and reserved attitude. Time to return to barracks must be before midnight.

You probably didn't know that the 3 colours uniform (yellow, red and blue) comes from the famous noble florentine family of the Medici and consists of 154 pieces of fabric which need 32 hours sewing!

Quirinal Palace

The Quirinal Palace, formerly papal summer residence, is the current residence of the President of the Italian Republic.
For some years now, this immense palace (consisting of 1200 rooms!), located on the Quirinal hill, right in the heart of Rome, is open to the public for cultural visits. 
Considering the artistical richness of the rooms and the beautiful gardens, the Quirinal Palace is definitely one of the most representative monuments of the capital, but it's not promoted enough, probably due to the rigid opening hours: every Sunday morning from 08:30 am to 12:00.
So, if you spend the weekend in Rome and would like to see something unique, the numerous collections of tapestries, paintings, statues, carriages, furnitures and antiques of all sorts are definitely worthy of a visit. You will also appreciate the incredible collection of Murano (Venice) glass and cristal chandeliers, including the largest chandelier in the world with a height of 20 feet and a diameter of 13 feet and 320 lights!

Built during the Pontificate of Gregory XIII in 1583 and intended to be the summer residence of the Pope (it was used by the Church until 1870), the Quirinal Palace represents one of the most impressive renaissance and baroque style works in Rome by the major artists of that time  such as Pietro da Cortona, Domenico Fontana, Ferdinando Fuga, Carlo Maderno and Guido Reni.
After the unification of Italy (1861), the Church was confiscated of almost all properties and the Quirinal Palace became the Royal Palace of Savoy Family. Later on, in June 1946 with the proclamation of the Italian Republic became the official residence of the President.So here are preserved some of the country's most important documents, such as the original copy of Italian Constitution, used during the official oath of the Prime Minister and the rest of Ministers at the beginning of their mandate.
All the rooms of Quirinal Palace are extremely refined and decorated according with the demands and expectations of the Popes. The monumental Staircase, commissioned by Paul V, the Hall of cuirassiers, one of the largest spaces of the palace, mainly used
for inspection body of cuirassiers and other official ceremonies attended by the President (public audiences and awards), the Pauline Chapel, inspired to the more famous Sistine Chapel, today used for formal masses on Christmas and Easter, the Loggia of Honor, illuminated by the big windows below the Tower, formerly used for public announcements, the Hall of Bronzino, from the artist entrusted by Cosimo de' Medici in 1546 who made the tapestries in XVI century, currently used as place for diplomatic meetings between the President and foreign Prime Ministers, the President Office, with the famous french desk (middle of XVIII century) and the painting by Borgognone (XVII) at its back, where the President makes the year-end speech, the Hall of Lille's tapestries, decorated with elegant french style tapestries, the Hall of Mirrors, with magnificent mirrors and cristals from Venice and prestigious dance hall by the end of XIX century, the Hall of Parties, the largest room of the whole Palace and also the most solemn, presently used as official place for the oath of italian Government.

I could continue the above list, mentioning dozens of other places, since the Quirinal Palace offers a multitude of attractions. Despite the Palace is only partially accessible, tourist can enjoy the most interesting places within the short time of visit. 
Another important part of the Palace is represented by the huge gardens, almost 10 acres wide, divided in 2 areas: the formal garden from XVII century, next to the central nucleus of the Palace and the romantic garden from the second half of XVIII century. The finest building of the gardens is the Coffee House, masterpiece by artist Ferdinando Fuga, used as the reception room during the pontificate of Benedict XIV (middle of XVIII century).
Another particular feature of the gardens of Quirinal Palace is the famous hydraulic organ, which is still working, using the water supply of the waterfalls (60 feet height), enough to play the organ for half an hour.
I recommend the visit of the Quirinal Palace to tourists who already know the city and made the basic tours of Vatican City and Ancient Rome.

Optional tours in the surroundings of Rome (1)

Currently, you can find a lot of tour operators and travel agents which arrange daily excursions from Rome to Naples-Pompei, Naples-Capri Island, Naples-Amalfi Coast for all budgets.
They are all standard tours that include tour bus return ticket, lunch at local restaurants, ferryboat ticket (when needed), archeological sites' entrance fee (Pompei) and so on.
Excursion prices generally start from 120 euros up to 250 euros per person, according to the different condition terms for each type of journey.
Bus leaves at 7 am and takes around 3 hours (one way) to get there including one stop on the highway for a short coffee/toilet break. Return is usually scheduled at 7 pm.
Despite Naples is just 115 miles from Rome, the trip takes a very long time (more than 6 hours on the bus!) because of the speed limit, traffic jam and large number of passengers to look after, significantly reducing the time of the visit. Don't even expect too much free time for yourself with such a tight schedule. Lunch is generally included, but restaurants are very touristic.
However, if you are looking for something more exclusive, there are very interesting alternatives you can choose among. Profissional car hire service and private tour guide can make your excursion more pleasant and relaxing, almost for the same price.
If you are planning to travel with your family, relatives or friends, you should consider this option. You can customize your trip as you like reaching places faster than tour bus, discovering amazing spots that you would miss on a standard tour, having more leisure time, eating in good restaurants and so on.
Here is some examples of private excursions that you may be interested in.

NAPLES-POMPEII
Departure for Naples at 7 am. Arrive at Pompei's archeological site at 10 o'clock. Visit of the ancient site (approx. 2 hrs). Transfer from Pompeii back to Naples. Lunch at a seafront restaurant. Visit of the city's main attractions: Sea Port area, Castelnuovo, Opera Theatre, Umberto I Gallery, St. Francis of Paola Church, view of St. Elmo Castle and Certosa of St. Martin (famous barroque style convent), Spaccanapoli (typical, traditional district of Naples), outstanding view of Naples Gulf from exclusive Posillipo Hill. Return to Rome at 5 pm. Arrive in Rome at 7 pm.

NAPLES-CAPRI ISLAND


Departure for Naples at 7 am. Arrival at the Port of Naples at 9 am. Boarding for Capri Island at 9:30 am. Arrive at 10:20 am. Visit of Capri city and Anacapri. 
Options: 1) chairlift to Mount Solaro, highest place of Capri from which you can enjoy the fantastic view of the whole island, 2) access to the famous Blue Grotto, 3) view of Faraglioni 
and 4) the Villa of Emperor Augustus. Lunch and free time for shopping or even a swim in the fresh blue water of Capri.
Return to Naples from Capri at 5 pm. Arrival at Port of Naples at 6 pm where the driver will be waiting to pick you up. Departure from Naples and arrival in Rome around 8 pm.
 

NAPLES-SORRENTO-AMALFI

Departure for Sorrento and Amalfi Coast at 7 am. Arrival at the Peninsula of Sorrento around 10 am. The tour includes stops along the coast at the most important tourist spots: visit of Positano (free time), Amalfi (lunch included) and Ravello with view of its incredible cliffs. According with the weather conditions, possibility of entering the Emerald Grotto.
Return from Ravello back to Rome around 5 pm. Arrival at the hotel at 8 pm.


Would you like to know more details about costs and contents? Please e-mail or phone me (find my contacts in the "contact me" label on the main page). I will be happy to help you planning your perfect excursion.

Trattoria "Il Corallo"

One of the most frequent suggestions that tourists generally ask me is a good restaurant, a nice place to eat, an authentic roman cuisine.
Well, it's not a simple task when you live in a touristic city like Rome. There are a few reasons. First of all, restaurants in the centre of the city mainly work with tourists and their cooking standards don't need to be particularly high, as they know that average customers come just once in their life and won't complaint too much if the meal wasn't good enough.
Since roman people usually like good cuisine and gorgeus dishes, they avoid the multitude of ordinary restaurants in the centre. The romans prefer to eat local, in small casual places of Rome's neighborhood, where it is still possible to enjoy the genuine homemade cuisine.
Unfortunately, these places are just out of reach and you'd better have a car equipped with a good gps system, if you don't want to get lost in the suburbs' nocturnal desert.
However, I know a few decent places to recommend in the centre of Rome too! Don't worry! One of these is called Trattoria "Il Corallo" and it's located in Via del Corallo 10, just a few hundred metres from Navona Sq. I had been told it was good and cheap, so I gave it a chance. After a few days, I decided to go there for lunch with a small group of tourist and I had a positive impression since the first time. The menu offered a large variety of dishes, mostly from traditional roman cuisine and wide range of wines in a cozy atmosphere. Staff was reasonably kind and fast. The bill (about 20 euros per person) was definitely fair. Since then, I had lunch in this trattoria so many times but I have never got disappointed with them so far. Among the best dishes they cook, I would suggest you the melanzane alla parmigiana (a sort of eggplant lasagna), cacio e pepe (spaghetti with salty and spicy pecorino cheese and black pepper) and carciofi alla giudia (fried artichokes). Also pizza is good value: thin, crispy and with tasty toppings, three basic requirements for an authentic roman pizza. And don't miss the homemade tiramisù, generous and delicious slice. Open everyday lunch and dinner time.
Keep in mind this trattoria for next time you'll be around Navona Square or on the way back from the Vatican City, looking for a place where to have a rest and eat good italian food!

Best money change

To begin, I would like to recommend you the best money change of the city.
With its strategic location in via del Viminale, a stone's throw from Termini Station and the Opera Theatre, it's one of the oldest and traditional money change but still very competitive and charges reasonable commission rates.

 

When you are there, don't miss a quick snack at "Er Buchetto", very typical trattoria, with spartan furnishings and authentic roman cuisine. The specialty is of course the sandwich with "porchetta from Ariccia" (pork roast) but I also recommend the house wine, local cheese and the traditional biscuits.